1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to static structures and more particularly to resilient strip forming portal opening through barrier.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The need to protect the doors of buildings from unauthorized tampering is a perennial problem for which many solutions have been proposed. Remedies involving protecting or reinforcing the bolt receiving section of the door frame are well known. U.S. Pat. No. 4,005,890 to Murch provides a striker guard to be inserted along with the bolt receiver or striker plate.
Two prior art references, U.S. Pat. No. 4,074,484 to Queren and U.S. Pat. No. 3,918,207 to Aliotta both provide a plate guard for the striker. All three references recognize that when a burglar chooses the door as a means of entry, it has been commonplace to try to force entry by either kicking the door or using a crowbar at the point thatthe locking means engages the door and the frame. To combat this type of entry, all three references and particularly Queren and Aliotta rely on plate means to try to reinforce the door jamb itself. In Queren, a plate is inserted along the inside face of the frame at right angles to the striker plate. In Queren, the reinforcing plate runs at right angles to the opening on the striker plate, whereas in Aliotta the plate runs parallel. In each invention, a lip member is provided with the plate which rests at the frame edge. Thus, the Aliotta reference in fact is using an enlarged striker plate.
Unfortunately, none of these prior art proposals truly solves the problem. This is particularly true in the case of a burglar who uses a crowbar. When a crowbar is inserted at the lock portion of a door assembly employing any of the three aforementioned references, the thin lip of the plate is relied upon to take the first pressure of the prying wedge. The plate simply pops from the door jamb and the burglar, by splintering or wedging the door jamb, is able to pry the striker plate away from the bolt.
There is, therefore, a need for a means to reinforce the jamb member itself by increasing its sheer and tensile strength to make it less conducive to splintering.